diff --git a/scripts/ax_init_standard_project.m4 b/scripts/ax_init_standard_project.m4
index c0d5d72..a7e207d 100644
--- a/scripts/ax_init_standard_project.m4
+++ b/scripts/ax_init_standard_project.m4
@@ -90,16 +90,19 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_ADD_MAKEFILE_TARGET_DEP], [
   fi
 ])
 
-# Same as AC_SUBST, but adds -Dname="value" option to CPPFLAGS
+# Same as AC_SUBST, but adds -Dname="value" option to CPPFLAGS and a
+# notz only a @name@ replacement, but also a @name_ENCODED@ one to be
+# used in code.
 #  - parameters:
 #     $1 = variable name
 AC_DEFUN([AX_SUBST], [
+  [$1]_ENCODED=$(echo "${$1}" | awk 1 ORS='\\n' | sed 's,\\n$,,')
+  [$1]_ENCODED=${[$1]_ENCODED//\"/\\\"}
+  [$1]_ENCODED=${[$1]_ENCODED//\'/\'\"\'\"\'}
+  [$1]_ENCODED=${[$1]_ENCODED//#/\\#}
+  AM_CPPFLAGS+=" '-D$1=\"${[$1]_ENCODED}\"'"
   AC_SUBST([$1])
-  tmp_var=$(echo "${$1}" | awk 1 ORS='\\n' | sed 's,\\n$,,')
-  tmp_var=${tmp_var//\"/\\\"}
-  tmp_var=${tmp_var//\'/\'\"\'\"\'}
-  tmp_var=${tmp_var//#/\\#}
-  AM_CPPFLAGS+=" '-D$1=\"${tmp_var}\"'"
+  AC_SUBST([$1]_ENCODED)
   AC_SUBST(AM_CPPFLAGS)
 ])